2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,852 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,057 and $23,720 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,395 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 116 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science and government programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science and government program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - River Falls
Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 35 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW - Green Bay
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW - Platteville
Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 42 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 23 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Full UW - Stevens Point Political Science & Government Report
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Purdue Northwest
With a ranking of #11, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 87 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Full Northern Illinois University Political Science & Government Report
Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Grand Valley State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend GVSU.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Grand Valley State University
Eastern Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend EIU.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Eastern Illinois University
Illinois State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 87 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Illinois State University Political Science & Government Report
Western Michigan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Western Michigan University
Youngstown State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 33 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Youngstown State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 31 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,722 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend Indiana University - East.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW - Parkside
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #24, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Southern Indiana Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #25, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students.
Full Eastern Michigan University Political Science & Government Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia.
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